Improvement in folding chairs



D. S. WHITE. Folding-Chair.

No. 207,466. Patented Aug. 27,1878.

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.DAVID S. IVHITE, OF TOLONO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN FOLDING CHAlRS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 207,466, dated August 27', 1878; application filed January 29, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID S. WHITE, of Tolono, county of Ohampaign, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Folding Chair, of which the following is a specification The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved folding chair, suitable for an ordinary chair, an arm-chair, and a rockin g-chair, and which may be changed from one to the other of the said styles of chairs without lessening the feasibility of folding it up to occupy a smaller compass.

The invention will.first be described in connection with the drawing, and then pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of my improved folding chair as an armed rocking-chair and unfolded. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same folded. Fig. 3 is a partial cross-section of the same, taken on the line a w of Fig. 1, looking from the front;

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Ais the folding chair complete without arms and rockers. B are the arms, and G are the rockers.

I will now first describe the construction of the folding chair A. D are its front legs, rigidly connected at their upper ends to the ends of the front brace, (I, so as to form together with the same the front frame of the chair. The front legs, D, are connected together at their lower ends by the round E. F are the rear posts, between which is secured the back G of the chair, and the lower part-s,f, of which serve as the hind legs, and are connected together by the round H. The rounds E and H are rigidly secured in holes in the front and hind legs of the chair, and are turned down cylindrical for some distance inside the legs at e h, to serve as pivots for the horizontal bars I, whose ends are perforated suitably to turn upon the pivots e h when the chair is being folded.

J are two vertical bars or uprights, pivoted with their lower ends, at j, to the horizontal bars I, and connected together at their upper ends by the crossbrace L. The seat M is made of flexible material, and attached in front and rear to the braces d and L, respectively.

K are two diagonal side braces, pivoted at their forward ends, one on each side, on the round E, between the horizontal bars I and the front legs, D. The upper rear ends of the diagonal braces K are connected together by the cross-bar N.

O are hinged braces, similar to the braces of a carriage-top, pivoted one on each side, with one end to the upper end of the front leg, D, and with the other to about the middle of the diagonal brace K, to steady the latter when the chair is unfolded and in position for use. When in this position, the upper ends of the braces K are locked and held by the springpawls P, attached one on each side to the inner side of the rear posts, F.

To allow of folding the chair, the ends of the bars L N are provided with pins 1 m, (with or without rollers,) workingin suitable grooves k f, in the diagonal braces K and therear posts, F, respectively. The groove f is curved inward at its lower end, to guide the upper end of the brace K down underneath the end of the spring-pawl P.

To fold the chair, the springs P are pressed in against the posts F, the hinged braces O unlocked, and the diagonal braces K pushed up, with the pins m sliding to the upper ends of the grooves f while the uprightsJ turn on the pivots j, with the pins l sliding downward in the grooves 70, the braces I turning on the pivots h, and the braces D KI all turning upon their common pivots 0, until the chair assumes the folded position shown in Fig. 2.

To change the chair into a rocking-chair, the rockers C are pivoted at c, at each side of the chair, to the lower ends of the legs D f.

To change it to an armchair, the arms 13 are pivoted, one 011 each side, with their forward ends at b, to the upper ends of the front legs, D, and are each provided on the inside with a groove, b, in which works a pin, f, (with or without roller,) attached to the rear post, F, on the outside thereof, so that in folding the chair the arms B will turn on the pivots b, and slide with the groove 1) on the pin f until the pin will lodge in the forward end of the groove b.

Having thus fully described my inVention,I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1n folding chairs, the combination of the front legs, D, brace (1, rear posts, F, having the grooves f and spring-stops 1?, back Gr, horizontal braces and rounds I E H, uprights J, and cross-bar L, provided with pins or rollers 1, seat M, diagonal braces K, provided with the grooves 7c, cross-bar N, and the hinged braces O, and the several pivoted connections, substantially as specified.

DAVID SMILEY WHITE. Witnesses:

GHAs. B. JOHNSON, J. 000K. 

